Pilot Food Hamper Program Launched in the North Shuswap

Debbie Thompson(L) and Leigh Schaffer preparing hampers for pickup at NS Seniors and Community Resource Centre. Watch for donation bins coming soon to North Shuswap businesses. (Kicker staff photo)

North Shuswap Health Centre - Gail McNeil Oliver, Executive Director

A four-month pilot project is now underway to investigate the needs for food security and provide food hampers to assist anyone who is experiencing issues with food insecurity in the North Shuswap.

This project is possible through a United Way of BC grant available to groups who could provide support to the North Shuswap as the community recovers from the Bush Creek East Wildfire. The Eagle Valley Community Support Group based in Sicamous, applied for these funds because their Better at Homes Program serves the North Shuswap and has NS clients who they thought, along with other community members, could use a helping hand while trying to recover from the wildfire.

The grant provided grocery gift cards to assist residents affected by the wildfire and provided community lunches, organized, and hosted by Lorna Joy of the NS Seniors & Community Resource Centre. Conversations took place with attendees and various local community groups about food security in our community. The community consensus on food needs in the North Shuswap provided further United Way funds for a temporary emergency food access program and now the Food Hamper Program is underway. So far, the food hamper program is reaching residents impacted by the wildfire and reaching other residents also in need of support with food security.

Wondering what household food insecurity is? HFI is when a household worries about or lacks the financial means to buy nutritious, safe, and culturally acceptable food. The BC Centre for Disease Control has an informative study on Household Food Insecurity (updated in 2023), that identifies food insecurity as a significant public health concern and reports that only a small proportion of food insecure households in BC utilize food banks.

A Canadian Community Health Survey, administered by Statistics Canadan reported (2017-2018), that 1 in 8 people in BC live in households that experience food insecurity and that people living in remote communities reported the highest rate of concern for food security in BC. People may think that food security is not an issue in our community, but the BC Centre for Disease Control also has data showing that Interior Health Authority has the highest prevalence of ‘severe food insecurity’ of all the health authorities in BC

Food security = equitable access to affordable, nutritious & safe, and culturally preferable food.

Food insecurity = economic, social, environmental & geographical factors outside of one’s control that negatively impact access to enough food to promote wellbeing.

Categories of Household Food Insecurity:

Marginal food insecurity: Worry about running out of food and/or limited food selection due to a lack of money for food

Moderate food insecurity: Compromise in quality and/or quantity of food due to a lack of money for food

Severe food insecurity: Miss meals, reduce food intake, and at the most extreme go day(s) without food (* highest prevalence reported in our health authority region)

The Pilot Food Hamper Program is now underway. FMI email nsfoodprogram@gmail.com or call 250-212-9952.

The negative impacts of food insecurity on people’s physical and social wellbeing have been well documented and systematic reviews demonstrate the associations between food insecurity and adverse health and wellbeing outcomes in children, youth, adults, and seniors. Children especially can have adverse physical health, developmental, social, and academic outcomes when food insecurity affects their household. Adults and seniors can have diabetic management issues and adverse cognitive & mental health outcomes when dealing with food insecurity issues.

If you are part of a community service group in the North Shuswap, you may in fact have seen proof of this too. Food insecurity is in every community but without funding dollars and the human presence to operate food programs, the need will not necessarily be addressed. So, we are thrilled that we can be part of this pilot project to identify the need as we help community members and to show the response through the number of households accessing the support to hopefully secure a more permanent program.

A monthly hamper is available on one of the two monthly pick-up dates during the 4-month pilot project. The next dates are March 11 and 25. People can reach out to Debbie, who is overseeing the coordination of the hampers, out of our NS Seniors & Community Resource Centre at: nsfoodprogram@gmail.com or 250-212-9952.

Please bring in a non-perishable food item when you visit the health centre for lab & doctor appointments!